lit a candle 3h agosaw the clip of him at the San Carlos Elms turning 105 back in the spring, my wife had the local news on while I was making coffee and I just stood there with the pot in my hand. 1921. think about that, a man born in 1921 still around to blow out candles this year. he went into the airline industry in 1952, that stuck with me for some reason, like the war ended and then he just went and built a whole second life out of it, decades of just showing up to work I guess, nothing flashy. anyway I never knew him, just saw that segment and then saw the obituary this morning over eggs and it hit different than I expected. 105 years. that's not a life, that's basically a century with a couple extra rooms added on. rest easy Bob
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Robert Lewis "Bob" Donovan, a World War II Army veteran and longtime resident of San Carlos, California, died on October 19, 2026, at the age of 105. He was born on July 14, 1921, according to the obituary notice published through the Neptune Society in Belmont, which handled his arrangements.…
Robert Lewis "Bob" Donovan, a World War II Army veteran and longtime resident of San Carlos, California, died on October 19, 2026, at the age of 105. He was born on July 14, 1921, according to the obituary notice published through the Neptune Society in Belmont, which handled his arrangements.
In August 2026 the San Mateo Daily Journal ran a community notice marking his 105th birthday, celebrated at the San Carlos Elms senior living community where he lived. That notice recorded that he was drafted into the Army during World War II, began working for the airlines in 1952, and transferred to California in 1960, remaining in the state ever since. It described him as a man who enjoyed golfing, traveling and going to San Francisco Giants games, who still enjoyed painting and all forms of art at 105, and who had been married for 75 years.
No cause of death has been made public. Details of his military unit, his airline employer, and the names of his surviving family have not been published in the sources available.
Biography adapted from Neptune Society (Belmont) obituary notice; Echovita; San Mateo Daily Journal community notice, Aug 3, 2026.
my grandpa was at the Elms too, he mentioned Bob a few times, always said he was quiet about the war part